Excavating machine



Sept. 15, 1925. 4 1,553,833

A. J. PENOTE EXCAVATING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 9 3

4 Shee l/VVE/V TOR Augustus .ZPenote h A TTOR/VE Y Sept. 15, 1925.1,553,833

A. J. PENOTE EKCAVATING MACHINE Filed Oct. 10, 192 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 II I l ATTORNEY WKQM Patented Sept. 15, 1925. i

UNITED STATES AUGUSTUS J. PENO'IE, OI CLEVELAND, OHIO.

' nxcavn'rme mama Application filed October 10, 1928. Serial No.807,628.

To all'whomitmay concern.-

Be it known that I, AUcUs'rUs J. PENOTE, a resident of the city ofCleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Excavating Machines, of which thefollowing is. a specification.

This invention refers to improvements in excavating machines, andespecially to the type known as traction excavators, or ditchingmachines.

One of the objects of my invention is to improve the type of excavatingmachines wherein a rear excavating wheel is employed by mounting thesame upon a motor driven frame or truck, so that the entire machine mayadvance as the wheel rotates thereby progressively digging a trench orditch and conveying the "material removed to one side of the trench. Itis a special object of my im rovement to accordingly reduce the weig tof the machine and the power required for doing the essential work,without reducing the speed of excavation, the convenience of operation,or. the efiicienc of the mechanism.

I ave mounted the machine here disclosed on caterpillars, as the solesupporting means therefor, and by mountin the engine and main shaftlongitudinal o the entire frame, I have eliminated and modified certainconnecting drive parts and thereby reduced the weight of the entireunit. To do this I have mounted the excavating wheel a little nearer oneside of the machine than the other, and placed the engine at the forward end on the opposite side' fromsaid j wheel, thus balancing the'weight of the mechanism. both laterally and longitudi- Q nally. I i jIt is a particular object of my invention to mount the excavating wheelnearer one side thereof as above explained so that the wheel may operatever close to one of the caterpillar drivers an yet not require so wide sace or clearance beyond said driver as would otherwise be necessary. Asa further feature of this improvement I have emphasized therein, a meansfor mounting said excavating wheel including rearwardly inclinedpostsilso that the raised or stored position of t e wheel for urposes oftransportation will position t e same progressiv'ely forward over thetractors as the wheel is raised upon the posts.

With these and other objects in view as will appear as the descriptionproceeds, my invention embodies structural features, as described in thespecification, recited in the appended claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view of the improved machine in side elevation in fulllines the lowered or working position of the excavating the machine onthe same scale as Fig. 3, and 1 Figure 5 is a detail of the transmissiondrive mechanism for the tractor belts, in section.

formed of channel-bars which sup ort a super-structure composed ofanglears 2 which constitute the main frame of the machine. This mainframe is carried as-a unit upon a base frame com rising cross-bars 3 andlongitudinal mem ers 4, the latter extending at each side of the machineand supporting upon their ends bearings 5 in which are mountedstub-shafts 6 extend ng from sprocket. wheels 7 that have drivlngengagement with the endless traction belts each belt comprising a pairof endless driving members a and b which are laterally spaced somewhatbut integral, and both mounted upon the same sprocket wheel 7. Theforward portion of the "main frame 1, 2 projects preferably beyond thedescribed In these views the reference character 1 designates sillmembers which may be 8. The latter are of the composite form,

running gear and provides a mounting for an engme 9 which is preferablyof the internal combustion type, and furnishes power for driving thedescribed running gear and the excavating wheel 10, and also for raisingand lowering the latter when desired.

For reasons explained later, it is to be noted that the engine 9 ismounted appreciably nearer the left-hand side of the frame .(seeparticularly Fig. 3) to counterbalance the effect of the desirablepositioning of the wheel 10 somewhat on the'righthand side,

as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will later be shown that the same powermay, by suitable control by means of clutches and gears, alsoserve tosteer the machine while being transported. The distribution of ower forthe purpose specified is effected om the main engme shaft 30 whichextends lengthwise of gle so that an adjustment of the carriage 13upwardly and forwardly to establish the inactive position of the parts,accomplishes also a forward shifting of the arms 11 and the excavatingwheel. This wheel 10, as is the usual practice, has the form of anannulus interiorly journaled upon rollers 15 arranged at the apices of atri-angular frame 16 which is secured to and depends from the arms 11.The numeral 17 designates the common series of combined cutter 'andbucket members peripherally carried by the wheel 10. 18 represents abelt conveyor extending transversely through the cutter wheel above thearms 11 and mounted upon the pulleys 19 secured torthe arms 11 byrods-20.

Mechanism is provided for elevating the excavating wheel 10 relative tothe frame and comprises a pair of cables 21 guided over pulleys 24mounted at the upper extremities of posts 14, the forward ends of eachbeing looped about pulleys 22 secured to the rear ends of the arms, andthe ends of the cables anchored as at 23 adjacent the pulleys 24. Thefree ends of the cables are led to a pair of drums 27 fixed torotatablymounted shaft 28 driven from shaft through the intermediacy ofworm 31 engag:

ing worm wheel 29 fast to shaft 28. Shaft 25 is, together with itsrelated parts, mounted on the beam 26 supported at the front by astandard 2 and secured at the rear topost 14. Shafts 25 and 30 areparallel and are op= Adjacent and parallel to drums 27 is mountedanother pair of drums 33 adapted to be rotated by shaft 35 on which itis fixed through the agency of'worm and gear mechanism-34 and 36, theworm bein mounted on shaft 25. From reels 33 exten cables 38 on pulleys41 mounted on posts '14 in alinement with 24, and thence pass down topulleys 39 carried bythe U members 40 mounted on the inner ends of arms11 and then pass back to the anchor pieces 23 on the uprights andattached thereto. Clutches 37 and 42 are provided for locking orreleasing the worms 31 and 34, respectively, and levers 43 and 44actuate the clutches, as will be understood. 45 and 46 designate bandsfor selectively determining a choice of speeds by means of the provisionof a planet transmission mechanism,whose details are well known, andsince it is not claimed in detail in this case, it is not illustratedfurther. Actuating levers 47 and 48 are provided for .said bands.

The dredgingwheel 10 is driven by means of pinions 57 engaging gearswhose teeth 58 are mounted laterally of the Said pinions 57 are driven.by shaft 55 which has splined to its ends drive sprockets 56 which aredriven by sprocket chains 53 led through the-take-ups 54. Shaft isdriven from shaft 30 by chain 49 onsuitable's rockets, shaft 50 rotatinga worm alining tlierewith which engages a worm wheel driving adifferential gear mechanism which includes shaft sections 51 bearing ontheir ends sprockets 52 fordriving chains 53. Thus chain 49 drives wheel10 by differential earing affording a well-balanced drive in w hich bothchains 53 .willvalwa'ys be taut. The shaft 55 has also mounted thereon abeveled gear 59 which drives cross shaft 62 by engagement with beveledgear 61 mounted on the former by which the conveyor ,belt 18 isactuated, chain .63 on 62 driving a sprocket on the shaft of the reel 19for suchpurpose. The tractor belts 8 are driven from a counter shaftwhich is driven from main shaft 30 by alternative means; the chain 72serving to connect the two shafts by direct sprocket drive, the clutch64 actuated by lever 65 determining the use of this-connection; or thechain 71, driving shaft 60 throu h the intermediacy of a reducing gearcomprising beveled gears 74, shaft 75 mount ing a worm thereon andengaging with a worm wheel 77 on shaft 60, there being preferably atransmission gear mechanism, des ignated 73 as a whole, between thesprocket from 71 and the gears 74, which transmission mechanism willlater described.

iso

ing wheel, as will be understood. Pulley 66 serves as the usual fiywheel, and lever 76 actuates a clutch connecting shaft 60 to the wormwheel 77.

Shaft-60 drives the belts 8 by worm and gear 81 and 82 which drive crossshafts 84 having sprockets 85 at their ends, each driv ing a chain. 83,as shown in Fi 1 and 3. These chains drive sprockets 8 on shafts 86which carry sprockets 7 connected di-' rectly to-the belts. These driveconnections vare not rigid and direct,\but the tractor. belt on eachside is driven .throu h a differential gear system of well-known caracter, where-' by tighteni brake bands 80, selectively applied. to (pueys 93 on shafts 84 at the pro er si e of themachine, will serve to guie or steer the latter toward the side whose bands are actuated .withgreatest force. .The brake bands are tightened by a rocking ci oss shaft92 which is actuated by.

a handle lever 79, a system of cables 88 connecting the bands on oneside to the lever, while the arm 91 on the opposite end of the shaft 92has connections with the bandson the other. A rocking of the shaft willloosen one set of bands and tightenthe other. 78 designates actuatinglevers for the usual slip transmission gear bands for a common type Y ofinternal combustion engine. The tractor belts 8 maybe tightened inadjustment by separating the bearings 5 by means of rods 89 andnuts90thereo j The gear mechanism before referred to -by the numeral 73comprises means to attain 'three sgeed's and reverse, and transmits ower71' to-the bevel gears 74, the sprocket driving shaft section 94 and thesection 95 driving gears 74. For this.purpose, a counter shaft .96 ismounted in the casing and has mounted .thereona larger and narrow gear97 permanently in en agement with a wide gear 98 keyed t0 sha row andwide gears 99 and 100, res ectively.

' 'Gears'lOl and 102 are slidablyadwsted on shaft section 95against-rotation, the former adapted togear with 99 for second speed,and the latter with 100 for low speed. The idler shaft 103 carries'agear 104 in permanent engagement with 100, and another gear 105 at theother end'for engagement with 102 for reverse drive, as will be evidentFor direct or high speed drive, gear 101 has connected on its leftface-an internal gear or spline which is adapted to enclose gear 98therein, when shifted in that direction, so that two shaft sections willrotate together.

om the sprocket driven by chain section-94, and nar- Details of thebearings or of the particular manner of keying the parts on the shaftsections, or of mounting the latter in accurate alinement, are not shownor described, for no claims are made for them per se.

Operation: In inoperative position, with parts at rest, the variousclutches are-released and the dredging wheel raised, as shown in theview in Fig. 2 of the drawings. If then, the machine is to betransported under its own power, which will obviously be desirable at aspeed much greater than that employed when in dredging operation, clutch64 is engaged b 'lever 65 and shaft 60 is driven through c ain 72, andthereby the chains 83 actuate the tractor belts 8 to advance the machineat relatively high speed. When dredging, it' is clear that the machineas a whole should advance much slower, and to effect this, clutch 67 isthrown into engagement b lever 68 and thereby shaft 60 is driven t roughthe intermediacy of chain 71 and its connected reducing mechanism asbefore described. It is to be noted, however, that, in addition to apermanently connected reducing mechanism,

there is also provided the triple speed gearvary the advance of themachine in accordance with the resistance encountered, which ing 73above described, whichis designed to latter. willvary with the differentcharacter 7 of soils to be dredged. In general, the high speedisusedwhere light'soil such as sand or gravelis to be excavated, the other twospeeds being employed where clay or other harder material is to beremoved. The reverse is provided to temporarily withdraw 'the machinefrom its advanced position to enable rock or other obstructions to beremoved which cannot well be lifted by the excavating wheel. v

' Whilebeing propelled on the highway at high speed or very slowly whendredging,- the machine is lded or steered by proper manipulation o thelever 79 which guidesthe machine to the left when moved upward andbackward, as shown in'Fig. 1; and to the -ri ht when moved forward as insaid view.

The lever 43 controls clutch 37 to deter mine the raising of the extremeends of the arms 11'on their hinges 12, and lever 44 actuates clutch" 42to control the raising of the hinged ends of the said arms 11 on thesupporting posts 14. It will therefore be I seen that all parts of themachine are 0on trolled by levers adapted to be operated from the sameside thereof, so that it may ,be operated by a single operative,'andthat a great range of speed is provided for driving the same forwardwh1le the excavating wheel is in lowered and dredging operation, and afar greater speed provlded for a reasonably rapid transit when themachine is to be propelled over the highways for removal to a distantplace for o crating there. These changes are provided or without thestrain consequent upon shift of power from shafts at angles to the driveor engine shaft, and by the very desirable arrangement of a system ofcounter shafts all of which are mounted lengthwise of the machine. This,with the further desirable mounting of the engine shaft longitudinal ofthe machine but lateral of the longitudinal center thereof opposite tothe side carr ing the greater weight of the dredging w eel, provides anespecially effective construction, balanced as to weight bothlongitudinally and laterally,

compact in assembly, and capable of very strong and secure positioningupon the base of the carriage. a 1

It is quite evident that a wide choice of alternative operations is, bymy improved machine, at the disposal of the operative who, seated at oneside of themachine in reach of these various levers, may be called uponto meet conditions in an'emergency, such as the event of.the dredgerstriking a rock, or possibly a cross pipe such as a water or gas main,or a stratum of much harder soilthan that in which the machine had beenoperating.- In the latter case, he may operate small levers to shift thesplined gears 101 and 102 to throw in a slower speed of the tractorbelts relative to the rotation of the wheel 10,,(such levers are notshown as they are mounted and operate in a conventional manner) or, hemay, by moving the proper levers 78, greatly reduce thes ed of allrotating parts, or as a last resort, e may disconnect the drive of thewheel 10 and of shaft 60, without stopping the engine or its shaft 30,though this latter expedient need seldom be resorted to, If a solidobstruction be encountered, he may at first lower the ,speed of drive byactuating the transmission levers reducing the speed of the tractorbelts,

or he may release the drive for both wheel 10 and said drive belts,though permitting the engine to run. He may then reverse the directionof drive for 'said belts 8 for a moplained.

' on said frame in parallel the use of tractor belts asthe sole runninggear for sup orting my machine, its use making ossi lo the desirableeven distribution o the essential load of the machine over the surface uon which it travels, thereby lessening possible damage to the surface,

propulsion, and. at the same time making possible very compact assemblyof the entire unit. f

'Attention is also called to the provision of differential gearmechanism for driving the excavating wheel, the advantage of saidconstruction arising from the fact that my dredgin wheel has a drivinggear on both faces 0 the rim but no hub or spokes. This renders itessential that the driving force should be applied with substantiallyequal force to both gears. plishedthis b driving a cross shaft 55 by apair of sproc et chains 53 which are themselves driven from alined shaftsections 51 through a differential mechanism, as above stated. I claimno inventive merit in the differential mechanism per se, but believe itto. be patentabl novel to use the same 1n driving a dre ging wheelasabove ex- Having set forth the principles of my invention, anddescribed and illustrated an embodiment thereof for practical use, whatI claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1, An excavating machine comprising a runninggear, a frame mountedthereupon, an excavating wheel and an engine mounted v on said frame inparallel planes longitudinal -of the latter, the engine extendingforwardly and the wheel rearwardly of the said run- I have a'ccomninggear in counter-balancing relation,

means for actuating said running gear and wheel including parallelcounter shafts and an engine shaft, all longitudinal ofthe supportingframe, and clutch-controlleddriving connections between said shaftsandbetween the latter and the running gear and wheel respectively.

2. An excavating machine comprising a running gear, a framemountedthereupo'n, an excavating wheel and an engine mounted laneslongitudinal of the latter, the whee? being positioned substantiallynearer one side than the other, the engine extending forwardly and thewheel rearwardly of the said running gear in counter-balancing relation,means for 80 providing very positive tractive force in I actuating saidrunning gear and wheel including parallel counter shafts and an en-'gine shaft, all longitudinal ofthe supportlng frame, andclutch-controlled driving connections between said shafts and betweenthe latter and the'running gear and wheel, respectively.

3. An excavating machine com rising a running gear, a frame mounted tereupon, an excavating wheel and an engine mounted on said frame in'parallel spaced planes longitudinal of the latter, the engine extendingforwardly and the wheel rearwardly of the said running gear incounter-balancing relation, and said engine and wheel positioned,respectively adjacent opposite sides of said frame, means for actuatingsaid running gear and wheel including parallel counter shafts and anengine shaf all longitudinal of the supporting frame, andclutch-controlled drivin connections between said shafts and andztherunning gear and'wheel, respectively.

4.-An excavating machine comprising a running gear including spacedtractor belts, a frame mounted thereupon, an excavating wheel and anengine mounted on said frame in parallel planes longitudinal of thelatter, the engine extending forwardly and the wheel rearwardly of thesaid tractor belts in counter-balancing relation, means for actuatingsaid tractor belts'and wheel including ptarallel counter shafts and anengine sha all longitudinal of the supportmg frame, andclutch-controlled driving connections between said shafts and betweenthe latter and the tractor belts and wheel, respectively.

5. .An excavatin machine comprising a running gear inclu ing spacedtractor belts,

a frame mounted thereupon, an excavating wheel and an engine mounted" onsaid frame in parallel planes longitudinal of the latter, the "engineextending forwardly and the wheel rearwardly of the said tractor beltsin counter-balancing relation, means -for .actuating said tractor beltsand wheel, ,the

former at a plurality of speeds, selectively,

relative to the wheel, said means including parallel countershafts andan engine shaft,

all longitudinal of the supporting frame, and clutch-controlled drivingconnections between said shafts and between the latter 7 and the tractorbelts and wheel, respectively.

6. An excavating machine comprising-a running gear, a frame mountedthereupon, an excavating wheel and an engine for actuating said running.gear and wheel, said wheel and engine being carried in counterbalancingrelation beyond opposite ends of 'the running gear, and in laterallybalanced relation at opposite sidesof'but within the outlines of saidframe, respectively.

7. excavating machine comprising a etween the latter.

alternatively 'tively.

' running gear, the latter comprising laterally an excavating wheel andan'engine for actuating running gear and wheel and engine being carriedin counter-balancing relation beyond opposite ends of the running gear,and in laterally-balanced relation at opposite sides of said frame,respectively, an elongated supportin element for said Wheel mountedlongitudmally of said frame and pivoted at one end thereto, cables forraising and lowering the'respective ends of said elongated element,drums engaged by said cables, driving means for said drums includingclutch-controlled connections between said engine and drums, adjustableto establish a drive'to said drums, selectively.

9. A11 excavating machine comprising a running gear, the lattercomprising laterally spaced tractor belts, an excavating wheel supportedby said running gear beyond one end of said belts, and an enginesimilarly supported beyond the other end thereof and counter-balancingsaid wheel, said engine and wheel being mounted in laterally-balancedrelation at opposite sides of said frame, respectively, driving meansfor driving the wheel and the belts from the engine, the latterincluding. means for slackening the speed of either of said beltswithout interfering withthe propulsion force of the other to therebysteer the machine.

10. An excavating machine comprising a running gear formed ofspacedtractor belts constituting the sole support thereof, a

frame mounted thereupon, portions thereof projecting forwardly andrearwardly beyond said belts, an excavating wheel, and an engine foractuating said belts and wheel,

said wheel and engine being carried in coun- -ter-balancing relation onsaid forward and rearward portions of the frame, respec- 1 1'..Anexcavating machine comprising a running gear formed of spaced tractorbelts constituting the sole support thereof, a frame mounted thereupon,and projecting forwardly and rearwardly beyond said belts,

an excavating wheel, and an engine for actuating'said belts andwheel,said wheel and engine being carried incounterbalancing relation on saidforward and rearward portions of the frame and in laterally balancedrelation at opposite sides of said frame, respectively. 1

'12. An excavating machine comprising a running gear, an excavatingwheel having gears on its faces and supported by said running gear, anenginesupported on said runn-ing gear, and means for driving said wheelgears from the engine comprising a cross shaft, gears on said shaft forengaging the gears on the face of the wheel, and differential gearmechanism for applying rotative power to the ends of said cross shaft.

13. An excavating machine comprising a running gear, anexcavating wheelhaving gears on the faces of its rim and an engine supported by saidrunning gear, and driving means connecting the wheel'and engine fordriving the former, and comprising gears on the external face of thewheel rim, a cross shaft having gears mounted fixedly thereon forengaging the gears on the wheel rim, sprockets mounted on the respectiveends of said cross shaft and keyed thereto,

sprocket chains for independently driving the said sprockets, shaftsections having -means for driving said chains, and difi'erential gearmechanism for driving said shaft sections,

14. An excavating machine comprising a running gear, a frame mountedthereupon, an excavating mechanism and an engine mounted on said framein parallel planes longitudinal ofthe frame, the engine ex-.

in laterally-balanced relation with the engine, and driving mechanismconnecting said engine shaft with said excavating mechanism.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ,afiix my signature.

' AUGUSTUS J. PENOTE.

